Luttinger-liquid-like transport in long InSb nanowires

Abstract

Long nanowires of degenerate semiconductor InSb in asbestos matrix (wire\ndiameter is around 50 \\AA, length 0.1 - 1 mm) were prepared. Electrical\nconduction of these nanowires is studied over a temperature range 1.5 - 350 K.\nIt is found that a zero-field electrical conduction is a power function of the\ntemperature $G\\propto T^\\alpha$ with the typical exponent $\\alpha \\approx 4$.\nCurrent-voltage characteristics of such nanowires are found to be nonlinear and\nat sufficiently low temperatures follows the power law $I\\propto V^\\beta$. It\nis shown that the electrical conduction of these nanowires cannot be accounted\nfor in terms of ordinary single-electron theories and exhibits features\nexpected for impure Luttinger liquid. For a simple approximation of impure LL\nas a pure one broken into drops by weak links, the estimated weak-link density\nis around $10^3-10^4$ per cm.\n